The 2026 Mureung Byeolyucheonji Lavender Festival in Donghae, Gangwon Province — the largest lavender festival in South Korea — has wrapped up after drawing more than 100,000 visitors.
According to Donghae city officials Tuesday, the nine-day festival, held from June 13 to June 21, attracted around 20,000 visitors during a pre-festival period and approximately 80,000 during the main event.
This year's festival drew tourists with a range of hands-on programs, performances and food offerings set against the backdrop of fully bloomed lavender gardens and the scenic landscapes of Cheongok Lake and Geumgok Lake.
A suspension bridge and a nighttime laser show, both making their debut this year, proved major crowd-pleasers and established themselves as new highlights of the festival. Nighttime visitors accounted for more than 13 percent of total attendance, with evening admissions on weeknights rising consistently throughout the event.
A children's play area, busking performances and hands-on activity programs drew steady participation from families, with many tourists spending the entire day — from afternoon into the evening — at the festival grounds.
Donghae city operated an online ticketing system and put in place traffic and parking measures as well as safety personnel, allowing the large-scale event to conclude without incident and ensuring a comfortable environment for visitors.
Mureung Byeolyucheonji was developed through the creative restoration of a former limestone mining site and has grown into one of South Korea's leading industrial heritage tourism destinations, combining emerald lakes, cliff scenery and activity facilities.
Even after the festival's close, the city plans to keep the lavender gardens, the Cheongok and Geumgok lake scenery, and activity facilities such as a sky glider and alpine coaster open year-round to attract tourists in every season.
"This lavender festival was a meaningful achievement that showed Mureung Byeolyucheonji is growing into a leading nature and experience-based tourism destination in South Korea," Vice Mayor Kim Jeong-yun said. "We will continue to expand our differentiated tourism content and nighttime programs to further strengthen Donghae's competitiveness as a destination where visitors stay longer."
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